Sunday

Jul 16, 2017 at 7:14 AMJul 16, 2017 at 10:15 AM

A month-old giraffe in Baltimore aided in June by a transfusion of plasma from an adult giraffe at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was euthanized Saturday after a prolonged illness, the Maryland Zoo announced.

The 6-foot-tall giraffe calf named Julius had been put on an IV administering a "life-supporting solution" as part of intense efforts to restore his health, the Maryland Zoo said.

The zoo noted that Julius "had a very challenging start to life," including difficulty nursing. His mother, Kesi, had been given medicine to boost her milk production; the first 48 hours after birth are key for giraffe calves to get needed antibodies from their mothers' milk.

But Julius "was never able to learn to nurse effectively," the Maryland Zoo said, adding that Kesi provided "wonderful maternal care."

The zoo staff gave Julius supplements with a colostrum formula within 24 hours of his birth on June 15 and tried to teach him how to bottle-feed.

To provide him with nutrients, he was given transfusions of giraffe plasma not only from Lance at the Columbus Zoo but also from a donor at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Julius also received antibiotics and other care.

"It is never easy to lose an animal, particularly after such incredible life-saving efforts were being utilized, and our thoughts are with our caring friends and colleagues at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore during this difficult time," Columbus Zoo President and CEO Tom Stalf said Sunday in a statement.

"Collaboration is extremely important in professional animal care and conservation, and we are proud to be part of such a dedicated accredited zoological community working to protect the future of species like the giraffe that are threatened with extinction."

The Columbus Zoo will continue to expand its giraffe plasma bank to provide future support for other ailing animals like Julius, Stalf said.

Officials said a necropsy will be performed to try to learn more about Julius' condition.

The mortality rate for baby giraffes in captivity is about 25 percent, although the mortality rate for baby giraffes in the wild is more than double that, according to Sheri Horiszny, coordinator for the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ giraffe Species Survival Plan.

Kesi was to be moved Saturday night from the Maryland Zoo's giraffe house to the outdoors with other giraffes.

The zoo has a blog providing updates and offering space for people to post comments related to Julius.

Dispatch reporter Alissa Widman Neese contributed to this story.

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